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The Indian government has asked the army to start massive operations against the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and its allies in a new anti-Indian rebel front. Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval reviewed the situation with army chief General Dalbir Singh late on Thursday. “We ...

Former German chancellor and architect of reunification Helmut Kohl is in intensive care after surgery on his intestine, German media reports say. The 85-year-old conservative is in a clinic in the south-western city of Heidelberg, Der Spiegel reports. There has been no official comment from the clinic or his office. The so-called “father of reunification” was modern Germany’s longest-serving chancellor, ...

Iraq and its allies are pursuing “the winning strategy” to combat Islamic State in Iraq, US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said. Mr Blinken said air strikes and supporting Iraqi forces was the right way to tackle the IS threat. Ministers from 20 countries debated the issue in Paris – though Russia, Iran and Syria were absent. Iraq’s ...

A powerful undersea earthquake south of Japan has shaken buildings in Tokyo and been felt across the country. The US Geological Survey said the 7.8-magnitude earthquake was centred 874km (543 miles) from the Japanese capital, at a depth of more than 660km. The earthquake struck at 20:30 local time (11:30 GMT). Buildings in the capital swayed for almost a minute ...

A Thai court has issued an arrest warrant for a senior army officer accused of being involved in the trafficking of Rohingya migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh. Lieutenant General Manas Kongpan could face a criminal trial. He is willing to hand himself in, Thai reports say. The warrant is part of efforts to close down smuggling routes through Thailand. Meanwhile ...

Media caption Martin Patience tests the mood among Beijing diners ahead of the ban Public smoking in China’s capital, Beijing, is now banned after the introduction of a new law. China has over 300 million smokers and more than a million Chinese die from smoking-related illnesses every year. Smoking bans already existed in China, but have largely failed to crack ...

It is a club where membership is a “privilege that offers enormous rewards”, but Australia is planning to strip membership from alleged terrorists who hold dual nationality. New legislation proposed by Australia’s Coalition government, expected to be introduced within weeks, will enable the government to remove Australian citizenship from dual nationals who take up arms or support militant groups at ...

A pair of US fighter jets has escorted an Air France airliner bound for New York City after the flight was the subject of an anonymous threat. US officials said they had received a call claiming that there was a “chemical weapons threat” aboard the plane. Air France Flight 22, from Paris, was searched after landing in a secure area ...

China is to focus on projecting its military presence beyond its borders at sea, according to a strategy document. The navy will shift its focus to “open seas protection”, rather than “offshore waters defence” alone. It will also speed up developing its cyber force to tackle “grave security threats”, the State Council said. China has been accused of aggressively pursuing ...

The smallest and rarest marine dolphin in the world could be extinct within 15 years if protection is not stepped up, new research suggests. Conservationists say the remaining population of Maui’s dolphins has dropped below 50. The critically endangered species is found only in waters off New Zealand. Measures to prevent dolphins dying in fishing nets must be extended, according ...